Nordic skiing-Niskanen takes revenge on Norway with stunning 15km win

LAHTI, Finland, March 1 (Reuters) - Finland's Iivo Niskanen exacted his revenge on Norway following a crash that cost him gold in Sunday's team sprint, crushing the competition to win the 15km race at the Nordic Ski World Championships on Wednesday ahead of a pair of Norwegian skiers. Niskanen looked set to pass Norway's Emil Iversen on the final bend in Sunday's race but he had to content himself with a bronze medal after the two crashed, allowing Russia and Italy to nip in and take gold and silver respectively. On Wednesday the 25-year-old made no mistake, setting a swift pace early on and never relenting, eventually winning by a margin of 17.9 seconds ahead of Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby and 31.3 ahead of Niklas Dyrhaug. Defending champion Johan Olsson of Sweden could only manage ninth place after falling out of contention early. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor in Stockholm; Editing by Alison Williams)